Podcast Host Reveals The Secrets to Getting the Best Host Reads; Female-Hosted Podcasts You Should Be Sponsoring; Surprise! Women Like Podcasts

It’s a brand new episode of the Media Roundtable, and for all our Chief Audio Officers, we’re focusing on the other side of the microphone. That’s right, we have a bonafide celebrity podcast host, sitting down with our very own Stew Redwine (Oxford Road VP of Creative Services). Taking time from her busy podcasting schedule is Joanna Robinson.

Joanna is a writer, podcaster, and cultural critic for The Ringer appearing on several shows including The House of R (covering all things fandom) and Trial By Content. She’s a former senior writer for Vanity Fair penning multiple cover stories, and in 2019, SyFy dubbed her the “Queen of Game of Thrones.”

Together Stew and Joanna cover the intimacy of fandom and podcasts, how brands should write copy that hosts will actually use, plus the joy of long-term sponsorships. Let’s dig in.

“[What’s] fascinating about podcasts… is the idea of intimacy that it creates because people so often listen to podcasts while they’re doing something else… and so then you become this friend in their ear.” – Joanna Robinson, Podcaster, Author

Fan Service – Hosts with the strongest communities are the strongest advocates for brands. What should CAOs look for in a healthy podcast community? Make sure the host authentically shares their voice–you should know who they are by hearing an episode. Also, are they perceived as welcoming to new members of the community? Even though Joanna’s expertise runs deep for different fandoms she serves, she remains a smart and friendly guide, not a gatekeeper.

Killer Copy: Host Edition – Want to make sure your ads sing when hosts read them? Joanna gives 3 tips:

In-depth experience = in-depth endorsements. Whenever possible, give hosts the product.
Encourage tandem reads. Co-host ad reads are more fun than solo-mode.
Five bullet points max. Long copy = bored hosts = bored audience.

Simplify, Simplify – Think your product’s complex? Wondering how to explain ‘Game of Thrones’ so a newbie can get it? Whether it’s deep lore or a marketing deck, hosts like Joanna bridge complexity to simplicity. Some advice for CAOs: Stick with a core story that connects and hooks your audience. Sprinkle in the extra details after you’ve made that connection.

To be lured deeper into fandom (and no doubt become a Joanna Robinson fan yourself), check out the full episode by clicking the link below.

Watch Here

Listen Here: Spotify

Listen Here: Apple

The Classifieds

Heavy is The Head That Wears The Crown

March is Women’s History Month, and Oxford Road is highlighting two accomplished female podcast hosts in our classifieds this week. TikToker-artist Chiara King is a girl’s girl, an honesty addict, and a personable host in her new show on Wizard Radio. King is a UK personality with international reach, thanks to her deeply relatable content on heartbreak, relationships, and self-actualization. It’s clear she identifies with similar Gen Z content creators based on her video component, which features her presenting from her comfy looking bed. King’s social count recently broke 4m followers, with many successful brand campaigns under her belt. For those looking to engage with an audience often unreachable for smaller DR brands, this is a fine opportunity to test in Q2. Be the king or queen of your royal podcast budget by clicking the link below.

Get The Deal

It’s Lonely at the Top

Valeria Lipovetsky recently moved her blue chip podcast to QCode, and with it comes a dedicated audience of 30-something women assessing their lives. Lipovetsky has been in her listeners’ shoes, so she provides guidance and advice that’s easily accessible and thoroughly interesting. Each week she’s joined by a thought leader, expert, or author to dissect and supplant new ideas around self-improvement. Lipovetsky is the mother of three, a content creator, and a wife whose soothing voice feels meditative, even when she’s discussing barrier breaking ideas. While the show has not taken on advertisers yet, it’s a great option to test if your demographic includes young moms, women interested in improving their professional and personal lives, and lifelong learners. It takes a village to raise podcast performance, and your village can be found at the link below.

Get The Deal

In Case You Missed It

Breaking News: Women Like Podcasts

We love new articles with hot industry takes that are self-evident, but we live in a podcast bubble, so we share them, knowing some folks may be behind the ball. According to SiriusXM, women are increasingly drawn to podcasts, with a 27% surge in weekly listeners since 2020. The reason? Podcasts offer unfiltered conversations with a sense of community. Female-host podcasts celebrate and represent women year-round, attracting listeners seeking relatable voices, while also fostering brand trust and loyalty. So, if you’re a brand seeking to reach a female audience and you’re not using podcasts, first, welcome to the Influencer. Second, you’re missing out on a big opportunity.

How to Win Trust with Every Listen

Morning Consult’s research indicates a notable shift in media trust, with audio platforms like radio and podcasts gaining credibility. Radio leads as the most trusted medium, with podcasts seeing significant trust growth, especially among Gen Z. Trust in the media is hard to achieve. This research highlights the importance of incorporating audio into marketing campaigns to capitalize on a channel that consumers deem credible–enewsletters were not part of the study, but you can trust us on this.

You Want Reach? Audio’s Got Reach!

Audio’s biggest proponent, Pierre Bouvard conducted a deep dive on Nielsen’s Q3 2023 Total Audience Report. His findings; AM/FM radio now surpasses TV in reach among adults 18+ (on par with social for A18-49). Daily time spent with TV and AM/FM radio is nearly equal. The report also shows middays as the most listened to daypart, contrary to advertisers’ perceptions. TV used to be the medium to build mass reach. However, with erosion in viewership, marketers are well advised to use audio as a means to recapture TV’s lost reach.

Rooster Teeth Goes to the Doc & More…

In light of the recent news about the pioneers at Rooster Teeth shutting down operation, this one hits differently. Armando Torres, host of the Rooster Teeth Podcast, recently shared what it’s like to go to the doctor’s office and have them grill you like a stingy, bitter family member, as he spoke about life before Zocdoc! The comedian grabs your attention with his hilarious setup about this universal experience. C’mon, like, who hasn’t tried to impress their grandmother?! His execution of comedic timing and attention to detail following the carefully crafted ad copy, create an overwhelming sensation of trust and authenticity. Not to mention the tug and pull, back and forth struggle to find new doctors after his move from Austin to Los Angeles. This read exemplifies the high standards of our Oxford Road Audiolytics™ personal substantiation component. This host can’t help but provide reliable feedback, making him a true champion for a long-time partnership with Zocdoc. If you were on the hunt for a new doctor, this is the guy you would take advice from. His exuberance for Zocdoc is genuine and Rooster Teeth’s unique take on live reads stands as a testament that this will not be the last we hear of them.

Listen Here

OXFORd In The News

Hug Therapy Helps Premature Babies Develop

Every week, we highlight Koala Corps, the non-profit organization whose ultimate goal is to “hold the babies” at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. So when we see other organizations doing the same, we want to highlight them here. A hospital in Argentina is now providing therapy to help premature babies when parents are unable.

Data suggests hugging therapy promotes neurodevelopment, protection, care, and growth. Because babies are in someone’s arms, they’re less stressed, their temperature is regulated more easily, they’re less prone to sleep apnea, and they gain weight faster, compared to being in an incubator.

Even if you can’t make it to L.A. or Argentina to hold babies yourself, you can learn about other ways to help at koalacorps.com.

If you’ve read this far, thank you!

The Influencer is a production from the team at Oxford Road.
If you like our sometimes sassy, mostly informed POVs on the wonderful world of audio advertising, you should see what we do for our clients.

Interested in seeing how we could help your business?
Contact us at influencer@oxfordroad.com!